Question

answer question

Please read the instructions carefully, then answer the following questions.

raise question

Do you mind if I raise the embarrassing question of expenses? How much do we get?

expect question

The Prime Minister wasn’t expecting a question about his private life and it caught him completely off guard.

repeat question

For the benefit of those who weren’t listening the first time, I will repeat the question.

misunderstand question

I’m afraid you’ve completely misunderstood my question.

invite question

At the end of his talk, the speaker invited questions from the audience.

avoid question

Just answer the question I asked and stop trying to avoid it!

have question

Does anyone have any more questions?

straight question

I expect a straight answer to a straight question, so don’t give me any rubbish about having to consult your colleagues first!

personal question

Do you mind if I ask you a rather personal question? It’s about your relationship with Paula.

>sure, go ahead.

open question

Whether me move to London or not is still an open question. We’re having problems making our minds up.

unexpected question

The speaker was clearly caught off balance by the unexpected question.

innocent question

I only asked a perfectly innocent question, and he came out with all this abuse! I don’t know what he got all upset about!

burning question

The burning question at the moment is – will interest rates go up and by how much?

reply to question

His vague reply to my question was somewhat unsatisfactory.

barrage of question

At the public meeting, the speaker was faced with a barrage of angry questions from the floor.

series of question

You work your way through the program by answering a series of yes/no questions.

kind of question

Asking this kind of question could get you into deep trouble.

 

Notes

• In ‘The Prime Minister wasn’t expecting a question about his private life and it caught him completely off guard.’, ‘anticipating’ is also possible.

In ‘Just answer the question I asked and stop trying to avoid it!’, ‘evade’ and ‘sidestep’ are also possible.

• If you ‘pop the question’, you ask somebody to marry you!
• Note the following verbs which follow ‘question’:

Questions remain about the President’s honesty.

The final question completely foxed the panel of experts.

• Note the following adjectives used to describe difficult questions:

Children often ask awkward questions about life.

I felt he dealt well with a very tricky question.

• Note these expressions:

The audience was invited to put questions to both the speakers.

Journalists bombarded the President with questions about the war.

We will win the cup. There is no question about it.

I’m afraid a day off tomorrow is out of the question.

• A ‘searching’ or ‘probing’ question is one which someone usually doesn’t want to answer:

In court he was asked searching questions about the nature of his private life.